Book Review: Brand New Church

Being a conservative evangelical, a social-justice-minded Charismatic, a prospective student and a lover of all things theological and ecclesiological, I've been interested in the movement known as 'the emerging church' (or various - lots of different names/classifications etc) since I first became aware of it. Today's book review is of a new look at 'The Church and the Postmodern Condition', an entertaining and wide-ranging look at how church and postmodernism seem to relate to each other. With a provocative and intriguing range of sources - the back cover promises engagement with voices as diverse as 'D.A. Carson, Peter Rollins, Pete Ward, Tom Wright and Stanley Hauermas'. Fancourt's broad reading, in addition to his wider research, contribute to a very helpful look at the subject area.

We open with a pair of important chapters, 'Why bother with the postmodern condition?', and then a summary of responses; 'Marmite for the church: the loving and loathing of the emerging church'. These  chapters give a helpful starting point for those unsure of the terms around the debate, as well as introducing the reader to Fancourt's thinking and writing style. There is essentially an element of 'lit review' here, as the author gives some helpful (if brief) overviews of key books in this field, from Carson to Scott McKnight. There are some very calm and reasoned responses here to the issues raised by various authors, which stands the book in good stead.

The central part of this book, and the third chapter, is particularly interesting. Titled 'Conversations: church leaders discuss the postmodern condition', this brings together a range of conversations and interviews, across both theological and geographical locations. As a set of ideas, there is much to mull over, and I believe this chapter will make for helpful reading for those who are wary of entering discussions around the Church and postmodernism, as well as providing talking points for those of us who are already 'in it'. In true numerical fashion, the fourth chapter follows, and it is here that Fancourt starts to analyse carefully the data collected, noting that 'there are three topics of debate in the dialogues about the church and the postmodern condition: the church and postmodernism, the church and postmodernity; the church as institution". This last is particularly interesting, especially in light of some of the fascinating discussions in the 'conversations' chapter regarding the balance of open-ness/loyalty, etc. 

Fancourt begins his response with the helpful observation that Carson and Rollins offer a helpful perspective on the two poles of this debate. Much of the concern I had when reviewing Rollins 'How (Not) to Speak of God' is echoed in Fancourt's observation, before flowing into conversation regarding Radical Orthodoxy, a theological movement about which I am currently trying to read enough to be coherent about! In his fifth chapter, 'The church: a very public inheritance', the author compares different accounts from current thought, notably Hauermas and Wright, in terms of how the church and the world relates. This is a helpful discussion, and crucial in our often secular/pluralist postmodern world. It is the sixth chapter, 'Resisting the brand new church', echoing his title and providing a hint of his conclusion, that Fancourt really stretches his legs, and we being to see what he thinks. We are lead through space, time, stories, media and branding, as being relevant touch-stones to how church can be in the postmodern age.

I enjoyed reading this book. It offered a different academic perspective to my natural comfort-zone (Carson!), but not one that I disagreed with! Fancourt is a gracious and talented author, weaving together disparate threads to give a coherent and helpful introduction to a messy topic, that simultaneously manages to provide a worthwhile contribution to the conversation. This isn't one for everyone, but for those who are interested, it is a useful and, by me, recommended, read.

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I've alluded to other books and reviews in this post, and so I signpost Peter Rollins 'How (Not) to Speak of God' (which I found incredibly frustrating), Johnson and Gleason's 'Reforming or Conforming?' (which I found incredibly insightful but perhaps occasionally ungracious) as being entries into this conversation. I'd also recommend John Benton's 'At the Cross', which is helpful for this sort of stuff, as well as Tom Wright's superb 'How God Became King'. For a superb evangelical yet rounded and thought through look at 'the church', I cannot recommend enough John Stott's 'The Living Church'.